Holding device



July 18, 1961 R. s. SHREWSBURY HOLDING DEVICE Filed April 24, 1959 INVENTOR ROBERT $.5HREWBURY B WWIW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,992,741 HOLDING DEVICE Robert S. Shrewsbury, Box 757, Dunedin, Fla. Filed Apr. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 808,749

4 Claims. (Cl. 211--13) This invention relates to holding or storing devices, and more specifically to such devices especially designed to hold small articles, such as electrical components.

It is the current practice to handle and store electrical components, such as resistors or capacitors, in the aggregate. They usually are not packaged for convenient handling and access, and furthermore, they usually are stored in stores, work shops or the like in such fashion that components of various sizes, magnitudes, capacities or characteristics are mixed together thus making it difiicult to identify and find a component of a given character of value.

Heretofore, no commercially satisfactory device has been available providing for convenient handling and mounting of electrical components, such as resistors and capacitors, and also permitting storage of such components in an orderly manner facilitating identification of and access to the various components. Accordingly, it is a principal objective of this invention to provide such a device.

It might be noted that although holding devices embodying the invention will be shown and described herein as being particularly designed for holding electrical components of the type referred to, such devices may also be utilized in connection with other types and kinds of articles, as will be appreciated.

Further objectives of the invention are: the provision of a novel, and inexpensive holding device for small articles and providing for convenient attachment of the articles to or detachment from the device; the provision of such a holding device having means adapting it to be mounted, for example, on a rack or the like facilitating storage of a plurality of similar holding devices in an arrangement wherein the articles mounted in the holding devices may be readily observed and removed, as desired, and the provision of a novel rack and holding device combination.

In the embodiment of the invention to be described in detail hereinbelow, a holding device is provided having a pair of similar holding arms connected together in parallel and spaced relation, with each of said arms being defined by parallel and spaced elements constructed of a stiff but somewhat springy material, and said elements of each arm being connected together in substantially common planes with the corresponding elements of the other arm whereby articles may be arranged transversely between said arms and in frictional engagement with the adjacent and opposed surfaces of said elements of each of said arms. The elements in each of said arms may be strap-like or wire-like and preferably are coextensive, being spaced apart a substantially uniform distance, and connected together at one end while defining an opening at the other end thereof, with a detent being provided between said elements in each of the arms and adjacent to the said other end of the elements. This embodiment also includes means adapting the holding devices to be mounted on a rack comprising a pair of rigid members or wires, as will be hereinafter discussed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The novel features of the invention may be best made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a holding device embodying the invention and shown mounting a plurality of electrical components;

2,992,741 Patented July 18, 1961 FIGURE 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary view taken generally in the direction of arrows 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing an exemplary rack construction for mounting the holding devices.

Referring to the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES l3, it will be noted that the holding device 10 comprises a pair of arms 12, 14, connected together in spaced and parallel relation by a rigid transverse member 15, constructed of any suitable material. Each arm 12, 14, is shown as including upper 16 and lower 18 strap-like elements joined together by an integral bight portion 20 at one end thereof. These elements 16, 18 preferably are coextensive, and are spaced from each other a substantially uniform distance, as best seen in FIGURE 3.

Elements 16, 18 are made of a stiff but somewhat springy material, such as a resilient metal, and may be formed, for example, by bending a straight piece of stock into the configuration shown whereby the free ends 17, 19 of these elements may be separated due to the spring action provided by the bight portions 20 and the elasticity of the material, as should be evident.

The rigid member 15 is shown as having its ends disposed between the elements 16, 18 of each arm 12, 14 adjacent the bight portions 20, with conventional eyelets or hollow rivets 22 extending through the elements 16, 1S and the member 15, as shown, to secure the parts together. The hole 24 extending through these eyelets 22 may be used for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter.

Adjacent the free ends 17, 19 of the elements 16, 18 of each arm 12, 14 a detent 26 is provided extending between the elements 16, 18, as best seen in FIGURE 3. This detent is shown as being defined by an indentation formed in element 16, and it will be yieldable, as the arm 16 is yieldable, to serve the purpose of detachably retaining articles arranged in the holding device in a manner that will be apparent as the description proceeds.

As previously indicated, the holding device 10 is particularly designed for holding electrical components, such as resistors or capacitors. Conventional resistors 28, 30, 32, 34 of different sizes and electrical resistance are shown mounted in the holding device 10. They include a body portion and lead wires 36 extending generally coaxially from opposite sides thereof. The space or distance between the elements 16, 18 of each arm 12, 14 will be substant-ially the same, such space being predetermined so as to be approximately equal to the thickness or diameter of the lead wires 36, so that these wires may slide freely between these elements 16, 18 once they have passed the detents 26. Thus, in mounting the resistor 28, for example, the lead wires 36 thereof are first pushed through or past the yieldable detents 26 and into the space between elements 16, 18 between the detents 26 and the bight portions 20 of each arm 12, 14. The lead wires 36 are then freely slidable in such spaces whereby the resis tor 28 may be moved to the position thereof shown in FIGURE 1 to provide space for the mounting of additional resistors.

While the lead wires are slidable in the space between the elements 16, 18 of each arm, as indicated, these elements will provide sufficient frictional forces when engaged to the lead wires 36, as shown in the drawing, to prevent the resistors from being inadvertently dislodged from their mounted positions. In this connection, it will be understood that the lead wires 36, themselves, are usually relatively stifi.

By virtue of their design and construction, the holding devices of the invention, among other things, will allow maximum storage in a minimum of space, and at the same time the components mounted thereon are conveniently accessible.

It will be appreciated that resistors of a wide variety of sizes and shapes may be conveniently mounted in the holding device .10 by the engagement thereof to the lead wires as explained. The stiff arms 12, 14 and member 15 will provide a strong and durable package for handling, transporting, displaying or storing purposes.

t will further be appreciated that other types of electrical components, such as capacitors, having lead Wires extending therefrom in the manner of lead wires 36 may likewise be attached to a holding device embodying the invention by the aforedescribed procedure. Moreover, holding devices of the invention may be used to hold articles other than electrical components, provided such articles include structure at opposite ends thereof adapted to be engaged between the elements 16, 18 of the arms 12, 14 in a manner similar to that explained heretofore for the resistors.

The eyelets 22 provide means whereby these devices may be threaded on slender members, such as wires, for storing or display purposes, or the like, if desired. FIGURE 4 illustrates an exemplary rack arrangement involving a pair of circular and stiif wire-like members 40 on which a plurality of devices 10 are slidably arranged in the manner indicated. These members 40 may be transversely split at one point (not shown) to permit attachment of the devices 10 thereto and their removal therefrom. Other arrangements for mounting a plurality of devices 10 by means of threading the eyelets 22 on wires or other similar membersmay also be utilized, if desired, as should be evident.

The present invention will thus be seen to completely and effectively accomplish the objects enumerated hereinabove. It will be realized, however, that various changes and substitutions may be made to the specific embodiments disclosed herein for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention, without departing from these principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A holding device comprising: a pair of similar holding arms, each of said arms being defined only by parallel and spaced apart upper and lower strap-like elements constructed of stiff but somewhat springy material terminating in free ends; a rigid member connecting said arms together in spaced apart substantially parallel relationship, the corresponding elements of each arm being in substantially common planes; and a detent provided between said elements in each of said arms adjacent the free ends thereof.

2. Structure defined in claim 1 wherein said rigid mem her is connected to said arms adjacent the end opposite said detents, said rigid member extending transversely between said arms.

3. In combination with the structure defined in claim 2 wherein means are provided defining openings extending through said rigid member and said elements, a pair of slender mounting members extending through said last named openings for supporting said holding device.

4. Structure defined in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower elements of each of said arms are integrally joined at one end thereof opposite each free end by a bight portion and said rigid member extends transversely between said arms adjacent said bight portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,896 Cohen Aug. 15, 1911 1,153,094 McGinty Sept. 7, 1915 2,447,996 Biagi Aug. 24, 1948 2,472,190 Bievenour June 7, 1949 2,523,202 Ericson Sept. 19, 1950 2,826,387 Rutten Mar. 11, 1958 2,868,489 Calcut Jan. 13, 1959 2,881,926 Spence Apr. 14, 1959 

